Published: Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 12:18 a.m.

Being home for the holidays has special meaning for oilfield workers who spend extended periods of time away from their families to make a living.

It was special this year for 61-year-old Dennis Canter.

“This is my first time being home for Christmas in the last 15 years. It just feels strange,” said the Houma native and Lafayette resident.

Canter, like many oilfield workers, has missed many holidays and special moments in his family's lives because of his job. It is not uncommon for holidays at home to come around every three-plus years for these workers.

“The way the schedule falls, you have a Team A and a Team B. The way the schedule fell this year, I was able to be with them,” Canter said.

Canter's wife, Laura, said the family was very excited for Canter's return home.

“What we usually do when he does have to work, we celebrate when he's home as a family,” she said. “It was really great having him home this year for Christmas, especially with him getting over his sickness. The kids were glad, and the grandkids were glad to have Paw Paw home.”

Canter was diagnosed with Lukemia in June. He's been in remission the past 30 days.

“We call him a survivor. The doctors released him and said he is cured, so it kind of made this Christmas extra special,” Laura said.

Canter works for Apache Corp. in Lafayette as the senior lead operator and assistance field foreman. He has worked in the oilfields for more than 40 years and at one point thought he would never return.

“The first year I started working in the oil industry was the same year Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, and I remember distinctly I was working out of Cocodrie for five days on and five days off. Everybody thought I was making big money, but I was only making $1.37. My father died, and I was really helping mom out,” Canter said. “When I first went to the military, I said I would never go back. And when I was done with my service, I fell right back into it.”

Canter has been working the seven-days-on, seven-days-off shift for more than 30 years at Apache. He moved to Lafayette in 1977 and has been married for 35 years. At first it was a hard adjustment for both him and his family, he said, but now they are used to it.

“The holidays are real hard. The children and grandchildren don't understand it. They just know their grandfather is working in the Gulf. It's hard when you are talking to them on the phone and you know in your heart you can't be there, but you know everything is going to be OK,” he said.

Laura said she coped with the previous 15 Christmases by communicating with her husband on the phone and computer, but mostly by staying busy.

“You just stay busy with other people, That's what I do. I would go to my son's house and friends' houses. Sometimes I would enjoy the alone time. I also work, and that gives me things to do too,” Laura said.

Canter said one way he handled the separation was by getting to know his crew — their routines and families' names. As for the holidays, the crew usually brings to work a small tree and gifts to exchange during a small celebration on the oil platform.

Canter said he and his wife joke about their time together.

“She tells me when I'm home, ‘OK, now that's enough. It's time for you to go back,' ” he said.

“Then I start to miss him, and when he is gone, I tell him, ‘It's time to come home,' ” Laura said laughing. “Some people are married 30 and 40 years, and they don't stay away from each other the whole day let alone seven days. You learn not to take things for granted.”

Laura said her husband also jokes about retiring. She said he always says he can never see himself staying home all the time.

Canter said even though he loves working offshore, he always treasures his seven days home. He is able to spend time with his family and friends, as well as watch the Saints play and enjoy leisure activities.

Ron Ratliff, 31, of Houma, spent his first Christmas home this year for the first time in three years.

He's been working in the oilfields for 11 years and works the 14-14 shift for Hercules Offshore Inc. in Houma as a roustabout.

One way he copes with being away from his family is finding other things to occupy his time, he said.

“You kind of have to put it out of your mind that you are away from home. I don't know how, but you just do it. You just keep your mind on the task at hand. I think about fishing a lot,” he said.

Ratliff said one of his favorite pastimes when he is home is fly fishing.

“I am working on being a professional fly fisherman, and one of the things I miss out on when I am away is the fishing tournaments. I also miss out on the kids' football games and watching them grow up,” Ratliff said. “Time goes by so fast. One day my son was a baby and the next day (the baby) is 8 years old. That is pretty much the worst part.”

Ratliff's wife, Cynthia, said it was great having him home this year.

“It was nice to have everybody together. The day before Christmas we went to his parent's house. On Christmas Day, we stayed home, and my parents came as well as his,” she said. “He will still be home for New Year's too, and it's been a while since I had him home for that.”

Cynthia grew up with her father working in the oil industry and said she has grown accustomed to the lifestyle.

“I'm actually kind of used to it,” Cynthia said. “You just kind of learn to take care of things as much as you can. I pretty much handle things on my own. I grew up with my dad working 14 and seven, and I was already used to it. I saw my mom do it.”

Staff Writer Sable LeFrere can be reached at 857-2204 or at sable.lefrere@houamtoday.com.

<p>Being home for the holidays has special meaning for oilfield workers who spend extended periods of time away from their families to make a living.</p><p>It was special this year for 61-year-old Dennis Canter.</p><p>“This is my first time being home for Christmas in the last 15 years. It just feels strange,” said the Houma native and Lafayette resident.</p><p>Canter, like many oilfield workers, has missed many holidays and special moments in his family's lives because of his job. It is not uncommon for holidays at home to come around every three-plus years for these workers.</p><p>“The way the schedule falls, you have a Team A and a Team B. The way the schedule fell this year, I was able to be with them,” Canter said.</p><p>Canter's wife, Laura, said the family was very excited for Canter's return home.</p><p>“What we usually do when he does have to work, we celebrate when he's home as a family,” she said. “It was really great having him home this year for Christmas, especially with him getting over his sickness. The kids were glad, and the grandkids were glad to have Paw Paw home.”</p><p>Canter was diagnosed with Lukemia in June. He's been in remission the past 30 days.</p><p>“We call him a survivor. The doctors released him and said he is cured, so it kind of made this Christmas extra special,” Laura said.</p><p>Canter works for Apache Corp. in Lafayette as the senior lead operator and assistance field foreman. He has worked in the oilfields for more than 40 years and at one point thought he would never return.</p><p>“The first year I started working in the oil industry was the same year Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, and I remember distinctly I was working out of Cocodrie for five days on and five days off. Everybody thought I was making big money, but I was only making $1.37. My father died, and I was really helping mom out,” Canter said. “When I first went to the military, I said I would never go back. And when I was done with my service, I fell right back into it.”</p><p>Canter has been working the seven-days-on, seven-days-off shift for more than 30 years at Apache. He moved to Lafayette in 1977 and has been married for 35 years. At first it was a hard adjustment for both him and his family, he said, but now they are used to it.</p><p>“The holidays are real hard. The children and grandchildren don't understand it. They just know their grandfather is working in the Gulf. It's hard when you are talking to them on the phone and you know in your heart you can't be there, but you know everything is going to be OK,” he said. </p><p>Laura said she coped with the previous 15 Christmases by communicating with her husband on the phone and computer, but mostly by staying busy.</p><p>“You just stay busy with other people, That's what I do. I would go to my son's house and friends' houses. Sometimes I would enjoy the alone time. I also work, and that gives me things to do too,” Laura said.</p><p>Canter said one way he handled the separation was by getting to know his crew — their routines and families' names. As for the holidays, the crew usually brings to work a small tree and gifts to exchange during a small celebration on the oil platform.</p><p>Canter said he and his wife joke about their time together.</p><p>“She tells me when I'm home, 'OK, now that's enough. It's time for you to go back,' ” he said. </p><p>“Then I start to miss him, and when he is gone, I tell him, 'It's time to come home,' ” Laura said laughing. “Some people are married 30 and 40 years, and they don't stay away from each other the whole day let alone seven days. You learn not to take things for granted.”</p><p>Laura said her husband also jokes about retiring. She said he always says he can never see himself staying home all the time.</p><p>Canter said even though he loves working offshore, he always treasures his seven days home. He is able to spend time with his family and friends, as well as watch the Saints play and enjoy leisure activities.</p><p>Ron Ratliff, 31, of Houma, spent his first Christmas home this year for the first time in three years.</p><p>He's been working in the oilfields for 11 years and works the 14-14 shift for Hercules Offshore Inc. in Houma as a roustabout.</p><p>One way he copes with being away from his family is finding other things to occupy his time, he said.</p><p>“You kind of have to put it out of your mind that you are away from home. I don't know how, but you just do it. You just keep your mind on the task at hand. I think about fishing a lot,” he said.</p><p>Ratliff said one of his favorite pastimes when he is home is fly fishing.</p><p>“I am working on being a professional fly fisherman, and one of the things I miss out on when I am away is the fishing tournaments. I also miss out on the kids' football games and watching them grow up,” Ratliff said. “Time goes by so fast. One day my son was a baby and the next day (the baby) is 8 years old. That is pretty much the worst part.”</p><p>Ratliff's wife, Cynthia, said it was great having him home this year.</p><p>“It was nice to have everybody together. The day before Christmas we went to his parent's house. On Christmas Day, we stayed home, and my parents came as well as his,” she said. “He will still be home for New Year's too, and it's been a while since I had him home for that.”</p><p>Cynthia grew up with her father working in the oil industry and said she has grown accustomed to the lifestyle. </p><p>“I'm actually kind of used to it,” Cynthia said. “You just kind of learn to take care of things as much as you can. I pretty much handle things on my own. I grew up with my dad working 14 and seven, and I was already used to it. I saw my mom do it.”</p><p>Staff Writer Sable LeFrere can be reached at 857-2204 or at sable.lefrere@houamtoday.com.</p>